Door position sensor and system for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A system for determining a door condition includes a hinge including a first portion coupled with a door and a second portion coupled with a vehicle frame and rotatably coupled with the first portion. The system further includes a sensor outputting a signal related to a position of the first portion relative to the second portion and a controller receiving the signal and determining whether the signal corresponds to a door closed condition or a door open condition.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/812,324 entitled “DOOR POSITION SENSOR AND SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE,” filed on Jul. 29, 2015, by Elie et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to vehicles having doors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In an effort to improve vehicle operation and convenience, many manufacturers have introduced a variety of convenience and operating features to vehicles. However, many components and systems of vehicles remain significantly similar to conventional vehicle designs dating back to the previous century. The disclosure provides for various systems and apparatuses to provide for improved operation of at least one door of a vehicle. The systems discussed herein may include doors that either assist a user when accessing the vehicle, and/or configured to open and close without requiring a vehicle user to physically reposition the door. Such systems may provide for improved operation of a vehicle as described herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for determining a door condition includes a hinge including a first portion coupled with a door and a second portion coupled with a vehicle frame and rotatably coupled with the first portion. The system further includes a sensor outputting a signal related to a position of the first portion relative to the second portion and a controller receiving the signal and determining whether the signal corresponds to a door closed condition or a door open condition.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle includes a door opening, a door, and a hinge coupled between the door and the opening and permitting an angular movement of the door relative to the opening. The vehicle further includes a sensor outputting a signal related to an angular relationship between the door and the opening and a controller receiving the signal and determining whether the signal corresponds to a door closed condition or a door open condition.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for detecting a condition of a vehicle door includes receiving a signal from a sensor including information related to a sensed position of the vehicle door in relation to an associated door opening. The method further includes determining that the door is in a closed condition or an open condition based on a comparison of the sensed position of the vehicle door to a known range of positions for the closed condition and the open condition.

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a projected view of a vehicle comprising a door assist system configured to detect an object or obstruction in an inner swing path of the door;

FIG. 2 is a top schematic view of a vehicle comprising a door assist system demonstrating an interference zone of a vehicle door;

FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of a vehicle comprising a door assist system demonstrating an interference zone of a vehicle door;

FIG. 4 is a top schematic view of a vehicle comprising a door assist system configured to detect an object or obstruction in an outer swing path of the door;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a door assist system;

FIG. 6 is a projected view of a vehicle demonstrating a door control device for operating a door assist system;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a method for operating the door control device of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart including additional method steps that can be implemented in connection with the method of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a sensor array of a door control device for operating the door assist system;

FIG. 10 is a side environmental view of a vehicle comprising a door assist system configured to maintain an angular position of the door; and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a door assist system configured to control a positioning operation of the door in accordance with the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As required, detailed embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detailed design and some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to show function overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present disclosure.

As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or more items, means that nay one of the listed items can be employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination.

Referring to FIG. 1, a projected view of a vehicle 10 includes a door opening 20, a door 14 mounted adjacent the opening 20 and moveable relative to the opening 20 between a closed position and a range of open positions. The vehicle 10 also includes a controller that determines whether an instantaneous door position is the closed position or is within the range of open positions and prevents vehicle movement, engine ignition, or both in response to the door 14 being detected as positioned within the range of open positions. The controller is further discussed in various portion of the disclosure and denoted as the controller 70 in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 11.

An actuator 22 is in communication with a controller (shown in FIG. 2) configured to detect and control the angular position ϕ of the door 14. In an embodiment, the actuator 22 may be a power assist device that is disposed adjacent to the door 14 and is operably and structurally coupled to the door 14 for assisting in moving the door 14 between open and closed positions, as further described below. The power assist device 22 is coupled to the door 14 for movement therewith and is operably coupled to the hinge assembly 18 for powering the movement of the door 14. The power assist device 22 may include a motor, which is contemplated to be an electric motor, power winch, slider mechanism or other actuator mechanism having sufficient power necessary to provide the torque required to move the door 14 between open and closed positions, as well as various detent locations. Thus, the motor is configured to act on the door 14 at or near the hinge assembly 18 in a pivoting or rotating manner. The controller may comprise a motor control unit comprising a feedback control system configured to accurately position the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18 in a smooth and controlled motion path. The controller may further be in communication with a door position sensor 24 as well as at least one interference sensor 26. The door position sensor 24 may be configured to identify an angular position of the door 14 and the interference sensor 26 may be configured to identify a potential obstruction which may be contacted by the door 14. Further details regarding the controller are discussed in reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 11 of the disclosure.

The actuator 22 is configured to adjust the door 14 from an opened position, as shown in FIG. 1, to a closed position and control the angular position ϕ of the door 14 therebetween. The actuator 22 may be any type of actuator that is capable of transitioning the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18, including, but not limited to, electric motors, servo motors, electric solenoids, pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, etc. The actuator 22 may be connected to the door 14 by gears (e.g., pinion gears, racks, bevel gears, sector gears, etc.), levers, pulleys, or other mechanical linkages. The actuator 22 may also act as a brake by applying a force or torque to prevent the transitioning of the door 14 between the opened position and the closed position. The actuator 22 may include a friction brake to prevent the transition of the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18.

The position sensor 24 may correspond to a variety of rotational or position sensing devices. In some embodiments, the position sensor 24 may correspond to an angular position sensor configured to communicate the angular position ϕ of the door to the controller. The angular position ϕ may be utilized by the controller to control the motion of the actuator 22. The door position sensor 24 may correspond to an absolute and/or relative position sensor. Such sensors may include, but are not limited to quadrature encoders, potentiometers, accelerometers, etc. The position sensor 24 may also correspond to optical and/or magnetic rotational sensors. Other sensing devices may also be utilized for the position sensor 24 without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the position sensor 24 may be utilized to determine if the door 14 of the vehicle 10 is ajar or in the closed position. As discussed above, the position sensor 24 may correspond to an angular position sensor configured to communicate the angular position ϕ of the door to the controller. In the above example of a potentiometer, position sensor 24 can output a signal to controller 70 that can vary proportionately with the angular position ϕ of door 14. In one example, the signal can increase in amplitude from a lower limit at an angular position ϕ corresponding to a closed position of door 14 (e.g. about 0°) to an upper limit at an angular position ϕ corresponding to a fully-open position of door 14. Controller 70 can, accordingly, compare the signal received from position sensor 24 at any given instant to a known range of signal amplitude and corresponding angular position to determine the particular instantaneous angular position of door 14. Further, the total range of angular positions ϕ of door 14 can be classified according to an open (or ajar) range and a closed range.

The closed range may be relatively small compared to the open range, but however, may be greater than a single value of angular position so as to account for slight variations of the fit of door 14 within opening 20. These variations may include changes in the compressibility of seals 48, 50 or the like or slight changes in other materials over time or due to temperature fluctuations or the presence of small objects or contaminants that may exert slight outward pressure on door 14 without interfering with the ability of door 14 to fully close (such as by latching or the like). In an example the closed position may correspond to an angular position ϕ of between 0° and 1°, between 0° and 0.5° or less, or between −0.5° and 0.5°, with other ranges being possible. Similarly, the open or ajar range may correspond to the remaining angular positions ϕ of door 14, which in an example, may be between 1° and 80° or the like, depending on the designated upper limit of the closed position and the total range of motion of door 14.

In this manner, controller 70 can take as an input the signal output by position sensor 24 and determine, not only the angular position ϕ of door 14 (which may be used to achieve desired door positioning in a feedback loop controlling actuator 22), but also whether door 14 is open or closed. The determination of the condition of door 14 between the open and closed positions may be used outside of the control scheme of actuator 22. For example, by whether the door 14 is oriented in the closed position as controlled by the actuator 22, the controller may be operable to identify a door closed status of the door 14 prior to operation of the vehicle 10. The position sensor 24 may be utilized in addition to various switches and sensors to communicate to the controller that the door 14 is secure and oriented in the closed position. The position sensor 24 may communicate that the door 14 is located in a position corresponding to the latched position thereof, or otherwise oriented proximate the body 16. In one example, a traditional closure switch or a door proximity sensor can also be included as a backup or redundancy to such utilization of position sensor 24. Further, the utilization of such a traditional closure switch or, in an example, a switch or other indicator within latch 58, can be used to implement an adjustment or re-zeroing process by which, controller 70, upon determining by position sensor 24 is within the range of angular positions ϕ corresponding to the closed position of door 14 (or within a predetermined tolerance thereof, e.g. about 1% to about 5%) and the sensor within latch 58 confirms that the door is completely closed and latched in such closed position, controller 70 can set the current angular position ϕ of door 14, as indicated by position sensor 24 as the fully closed, or zero, position. This functionality can allow controller 70 to compensate for movement among the various parts hinge assembly 18, actuator 22, position sensor 24, and associated portions of door 14 that may occur over time, due to fluctuations in temperature, and the like.

The implementation of a re-zeroing scheme can also allow a brushless DC motor to be used for actuator 22, with the control thereof useable by controller 70 to determine the angular position ϕ of door 14 as a form of integrated position sensor 24. In this respect, controller 70 can be in communication with the control circuitry of the brushless DC motor to track the number of revolutions thereof during an opening and closing operation of door 14. However, as inaccuracies of such tracking stack up as the motor revolves, which happens several times during a single opening and closing operation, the re-zeroing functionality can allow such a system to maintain an acceptable level of accuracy.

The position sensor 24 may also be utilized to provide feedback to the controller 70 to assist in positioning the door 14 to detect obstructions. In particular, controller 70, when directing actuator 22 to move door 14 to either the open position or the closed position (or a particular angular position ϕ therebetween), can use position sensor 24 to determine if door 14 is actually moving, such as by comparing the indicated angular position ϕ at successive intervals. If door 14 remains in a particular angular position ϕ for a predetermined period of time (in an example for about 0.5 seconds or in another example for up to about 1 second or two seconds), while controller 70 is attempting to close door 14, controller 70 can infer that door 14 is obstructed and take a desired corrective measure. In further examples, discussed below, position sensor 24 can be used to identify a status or orientation of the door 14 prior to initiating operation of the vehicle 10. In another example, controller 70 can output the determined condition of door 14, such as to a vehicle control module 162 (FIG. 11) via communication bus 164, such that the vehicle control module 162 can utilize the condition information for door 14 in, for example, presenting a door ajar warning to a user of vehicle 10. For example, such a warning can be presented graphically or by an indicator light on a human-machine interface (“HMI”) 128 within cabin 46 or by presentation of an audible signal, which may be done in connection with a user attempting to start vehicle 10 with door 14 in an open condition.

Position sensor 24 may be incorporated into the structure of actuator 22 itself, or can otherwise be associated with both door 14 and opening 20. In one example, actuator 22 can include a first portion 54 coupled with the door 14 and a second portion 56 with the vehicle body 16 or frame defining opening 20, such portions being moveable relative to each other in a manner that corresponds to the movement of door 14. Position sensor 24 in the form of a potentiometer, for example, can include respective portions thereof coupled with each of such portions 54, 56 such that movement of the portion coupled with the door 14 can be measured relative to the second portion 56 thereof coupled with the vehicle opening 20 to, accordingly, measure the positioning between door 14 and opening 20. In a similar manner, sensor 24 may have a portion coupled directly with door 14 and another portion coupled directly with the opening 20. Still further, position sensor 24 can be in the form of an optical sensor mounted on either the door 14 or the opening 20 that can monitor a feature of the opposite structure (opening 20 or door 14), a marker, or a plurality of markers to output an appropriate signal to controller 70 for determination of angular position ϕ. In one example, an optical sensor used for position sensor 24 can be positioned such that actuator 22 is in a field of view thereof such that the signal output thereby can correspond directly to a condition of actuator 22 or a relative position of first portion 54 thereof relative to opening 20.

The interference sensor 26 may be implemented by a variety of devices, and in some implementations may be utilized in combination with the actuator 22 and the position sensor 24 to detect and control the motion of the door 14. The interference sensor 26 may correspond to one or more capacitive, magnetic, inductive, optical/photoelectric, laser, acoustic/sonic, radar-based, Doppler-based, thermal, and/or radiation-based proximity sensors. In some embodiments, the interference sensor 26 may correspond to an array of infrared (IR) proximity sensors configured to emit a beam of IR light and compute a distance to an object in an interference zone 32 based on characteristics of a returned, reflected, or blocked signal. The returned signal may be detected using an IR photodiode to detect reflected light emitting diode (LED) light, responding to modulated IR signals, and/or triangulation.

In some embodiments, the interference sensor 26 may be implemented as a plurality of sensors or an array of sensors configured to detect an object in the interference zone 32. Such sensors may include, but are not limited to, touch sensors, surface/housing capacitive sensors, inductive sensors, video sensors (such as a camera), light field sensors, etc. As disclosed in further detail in reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, capacitive sensors and inductive sensors may be utilized to detect obstructions in the interference zone 32 of the door 14 of the vehicle 10 to ensure that the door 14 is properly positioned by the actuator 22 from the open position to the closed position about the hinge assembly 18.

The interference sensor 26 may be configured to detect objects or obstructions in the interference zone 32 in a plurality of detection regions 34. For example, the detection regions 34 may comprise a first detection region 36, a second detection region 38, and a third detection region 40. In this configuration, the interference sensor 26 may be configured to detect the presence of an object in a particular detection region and communicate the detection to the controller such that the controller may control the actuator 22 accordingly. The detection regions 34 may provide information regarding the position of an object or obstruction to accurately respond and control the actuator 22 to change a direction or halt movement of the door 14 prior to a collision with the object. Monitoring the location of an object or obstruction relative to a radial extent 42 of the door 14 in relation to the hinge assembly 18 may significantly improve the control of the motion of the door 14 by allowing for variable sensitivities of each of the detection regions 34.

The variable sensitives of each of the detection regions 34 may be beneficial due to the relative motion and force of the door 14 as it is transitioned about the hinge assembly 18 by the actuator 22. The first detection region 36 may be the most critical because the actuator 22 of the door assist system 12 has the greatest leverage or torque closest to the hinge assembly 18. For example, a current sensor utilized to monitor the power delivered to the actuator 22 would be the least effective in detecting an obstruction very close to the hinge assembly 18. The limited effect of the current sensor may be due to the short moment arm of the first detection region 36 relative to the hinge assembly 18 when compared to the second detection region 38 and the third detection region 40. As such, the interference sensor 26 may have an increased sensitivity in the first detection region 36 relative to the second and third regions 38 and 40 to ensure that objects are accurately detected, particularly in the first detection region 36. In this way, the system 12 may facilitate accurate and controlled motion and ensure the greatest accuracy in the detection of objects while limiting false detections.

Though depicted in FIG. 1 as being configured to monitor a lower portion of the door 14 proximate a door sill 44, the interference sensor 26 may be configured to monitor an access region and a door opening 20 proximate a perimeter door seal 48 and/or a perimeter door opening seal 50. For example, the interference sensor 26 may correspond to a sensor or sensor array configured to monitor each of the interference zones 36, 38, and 40 for an object that may obstruct the motion of the door 14 by the actuator 22. The interference sensor 26 may be configured to monitor an entry region 52 of the vehicle 10 corresponding to a volumetric space formed between the door 14 and the body 16. A sensory region of the interference sensor may particularly focus on interface surfaces proximate the perimeter door seal 48 and the perimeter door opening seal 50.

As discussed further herein, the interference sensor 26 may be implemented by a variety of systems operable to detect objects and/or obstructions in the interference zone 32, entry region 52, and/or any region proximate the door 14 throughout the operation of the door assist system 12. Though the door assist system 12 is demonstrated in FIG. 1 having the detection regions 34 configured to detect an object between located in an inner swing path between the door 14 and the body 16 of the vehicle 10, the system 12 may also be configured to detect an object or obstruction in an outer swing path of the door 14. Further details regarding such embodiments are discussed in reference to FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary embodiment of an interference sensor 62 is shown. The interference sensor 62 may correspond to the interference sensor 26 introduced in FIG. 1. The interference sensor 62 may be disposed proximate at least one of the perimeter door seals 48 and the perimeter door opening seal 50. In some embodiments, the interference sensor 62 may correspond to one or more proximity sensors or capacitive sensors configured to detect an object. As shown in FIG. 2, the object may correspond to a first object 64 and/or a second object 66 in the entry region 52 proximate the door 14 and/or the body 16. The one or more capacitive sensors may be configured to detect objects that are conductive or having dielectric properties different from air. In this configuration, the interference sensor 62 is configured to communicate the presence of any such objects to the controller 70 such that the controller 70 can limit motion of the actuator 22 to prevent a collision between the door 14 and the objects 64 and 66.

The interference sensor 62 may correspond to a plurality of proximity sensors or a sensor array 72 comprising a first proximity sensor 74 configured to monitor the first detection region 36, a second proximity sensor 76 configured to monitor the second detection region 38, and a third proximity sensor 78 configured to monitor the third detection region 40. The sensor array 72 may be in communication with the controller 70 such that each of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 is operable to independently communicate a presence of the objects 64 and 66 in an electric field 80 defining each of their respective sensory regions. In this configuration, the controller 70 may be configured to identify objects in each of the detection regions 36, 38, and 40 at different sensitivities or thresholds. Additionally, each of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 may be controlled by the controller 70 to have a particular sensory region corresponding to a proximity of a particular proximity sensor to the hinge assembly 18 and/or an angular position ϕ of the door 14.

The controller 70 may further be configured to identify a location of at least one of the objects 64 and 66 in relation to a radial position of the objects 64 and/or 66 along a length of the door 14 extending from the hinge assembly 18. The location(s) of the object(s) 64 and/or 66 may be identified by the controller 70 based on a signal received from one or more of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78. In this way, the controller 70 is configured to identify the location(s) of the object(s) 64 and/or 66 based on a position of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 on the door 14. In some embodiments, the controller 70 may further identify the location(s) of the object(s) 64 and/or 66 based on the signal received from one or more of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 in combination with an angular position ϕ of the door 14.

In some embodiments, the controller 70 may be configured to identify an object in each of the detection regions 36, 38, and 40 at a different sensitivity. The controller 70 may be configured to detect an object in the first detection region 36 proximate the first proximity sensor 74 at a first sensitivity. The controller 70 may be configured to detect an object in the second detection region 38 proximate the second proximity sensor 76 at a second sensitivity. The controller 70 may also be configured to detect an object in the third detection region 40 proximate the third proximity sensor 78 at a third sensitivity. Each of the sensitivities discussed herein may be configured to detect the objects 64 and 66 at a particular predetermined threshold corresponding to signal characteristics and/or magnitudes communicated from each of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 to the controller 70.

The first proximity sensor 74 may have a lower detection threshold than the second proximity sensor 76. The second proximity sensor 76 may have a lower threshold than the third proximity sensor 78. The lower threshold may correspond to a higher or increased sensitivity in the detection of the objects 64 and 66. In this configuration, the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 may be configured to independently detect objects throughout the interference zone 32 as the position of the door 14 is adjusted by the actuator 22 about the hinge assembly 18.

Each of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 may also be configured to have different sensory ranges corresponding of their respective detection regions 36, 38, and 40. The sensory regions of each of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 may be regulated and adjusted by the controller 70 such that the electric field 80 defining each of their respective sensory regions may vary. The controller 70 may adjust a range of a sensory region or an electric field 80 of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 by adjusting a voltage magnitude supplied to each of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78. Additionally, each of the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 may be configured independently having different designs, for example different sizes and proportions of dielectric plates to control a range of the electric field 80 produced by a particular sensor. As described herein, the disclosure provides for a highly configurable system that may be utilized to detect a variety of objects in the interference zone 32.

The interference sensor 62 may also be implemented by utilizing one or more resistive sensors. In some embodiments, the interference sensor 62 may correspond to an array of capacitive sensors and resistive sensors in combination configured to monitor the interference zone 32 for objects that may obstruct the operation of the door 14. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the interference sensor 62 may be implemented in combination with at least one inductive sensor as discussed in reference to FIG. 3. As such, the disclosure provides for an interference sensor that may be implemented utilizing a variety of sensory techniques and combinations thereof to ensure that objects are accurately detected in the interference zone 32.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the interference sensor 62 may be incorporated as an integral component of at least one of the perimeter door seal 48 and the perimeter door opening seal 50. For example, the interference sensor 62 may correspond to a plurality of proximity sensors or an array of proximity sensors incorporated as an integral layer of at least one of the perimeter door seal 48 and the perimeter door opening seal 50. This particular embodiment of the interference sensor 62 may comprise a similar structure to the sensor array 72, discussed in reference to FIG. 6. In such embodiments, the interference sensor 62 may be implemented as a capacitive sensor array configured to detect objects proximate at least one of the perimeter door seal 48 and the perimeter door opening seal 50.

The perimeter door seal 48 and/or the perimeter door opening seal 50 may comprise an outer layer 81 having the proximity sensors 74, 76, and 78 of the sensor array 72 proximate thereto or in connection therewith. The outer layer 81 may correspond to a flexible or significantly rigid polymeric material having the interference sensor 62 connected thereto. In some embodiments, the sensor array 72 may also be disposed proximate the perimeter door seal 48 and/or the perimeter door opening seal 50 on the door 14 and/or the body 16 respectively. In this configuration, the plurality of proximity sensors of the sensor array 72 may be utilized to detect an object in any of the detection regions 36, 38, and 40. This configuration may further provide for the interference sensor 72 to be conveniently incorporated into the perimeter door seal 48 and/or the perimeter door opening seal 50 for ease of implementation of the door assist system 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, an exemplary embodiment of an interference sensor 82 is shown. The interference sensor 82 may correspond to the interference sensor 26 introduced in FIG. 1. The interference sensor 82 may be disposed proximate at least one of the perimeter door seal 48 and the perimeter door opening seal 50. In some embodiments, the interference sensor 82 may correspond to one or more magnetic or inductive sensors configured to detect an object, for example the first object 64 and/or the second object 66 in a region proximate the door 14 and/or the body 16. Each of the magnetic sensors may be configured to detect objects that are metallic and/or objects that may disturb a magnetic field 84 generated by an induction coil of the interference sensor 82. In this configuration, the interference sensor 82 is configured to communicate a presence or position of various objects in the interference zone 32 to the controller 70 such that the controller 70 can limit motion of the actuator 22 to prevent a collision between the door 14 and the objects 64 and 66.

The induction coil of the interference sensor 82 may be configured to generate the magnetic field 84 and monitor the magnetic field 84 for variations that may correspond to an object, for example the first object 64 or the second object 66, being present in the interference zone 32. In this configuration, the interference sensor 82 is operable to communicate a signal that may be identified by the controller 70 to limit the motion of the actuator 22 and prevent a collision between the door 14 and the object (e.g. the first object 64 or the second object 66). The interference sensor 82 may be utilized alone or in combination with the interference sensor 62 in various embodiments to increase a detection accuracy and versatility of the door assist system 12 to detect a variety of objects having a wide range of material properties.

In some embodiments, the interference sensor 82 may be configured to monitor the interference zone 32 in each of the detection regions 36, 38, 40. Similar to the interference sensor 62, the interference sensor 82 may comprise a plurality of sensors, for example magnetic sensors. In this configuration, the controller 70 may be configured to detect an object in the first detection region 36 proximate a first magnetic sensor 86 at a first sensitivity. The controller 70 may further be configured to detect an object in the second detection region 38 proximate a second magnetic sensor 88 at a second sensitivity. Finally, the controller 70 may also be configured to detect an object in the third detection region 40 proximate a third magnetic sensor 90 at a third sensitivity.

Each of the sensitivities discussed herein may correspond to particular predetermined threshold corresponding to signal characteristics and/or magnitudes communicated from each of the magnetic sensors 86, 88, and 90 to the controller 70. The first magnetic sensor 86 may have a lower detection threshold than the second magnetic sensor 88. The second magnetic sensor 88 may have a lower threshold than the third magnetic sensor 90. The lower threshold may correspond to a higher or increased sensitivity in the detection of the objects 64 and 66. In this configuration, the magnetic sensors 86, 88, and 90 may be configured to detect objects throughout the interference zone 32 as the position of the door 14 is adjusted by the actuator 22 about the hinge assembly 18.

The controller 70 may be configured to receive various signals from the interference sensor 82 or magnetic sensors 86, 88, and 90, some of which may correspond to the detection of the objects 64 and 66. The magnetic sensors as discussed herein may correspond to various forms of magnetic or induction sensors that may be configured to monitor the magnetic field 84. For example, a magnetic sensor may correspond to various magnetic sensing devices including, but not limited to a Hall effect sensor, a magneto-diode, a magneto-transistor, an AMR magnetometer, a GMR magnetometer, a magnetic tunnel junction magnetometer, a magneto-optical sensor, a Lorentz force based sensor, an Electron Tunneling based sensor, a compass, a Nuclear precession magnetic field sensor, an optically pumped magnetic field sensor, a fluxgate magnetometer, and a search coil magnetic field sensor.

The controller 70 may be configured to detect the objects 64 and 66 by identifying changes in the magnetic field 84. For example, the identification may be accomplished by comparing signals from the magnetic sensors 86, 88, and 90 monitoring the magnetic field 84 during operation of the door assist system 12. The signals from the magnetic sensors 86, 88, and 90 may be compared by the controller 70 to previously measured or calibrated characteristics of the magnetic field 84. The previously measured or calibrated characteristics from the magnetic sensors 86, 88, and 90 may be stored in a memory in communication with the controller 70. In some implementations, the controller 70 may further utilize the angular position ϕ of the door 14 from the position sensor 24 to improve the comparison due to changes in the magnetic field 84 resulting from the change in distance between the door 14 and the body 16. In this configuration, the controller 70 may accurately identify changes in the magnetic field 84 to identify an obstruction in the interference zone 32 (e.g., the objects 64 and 66).

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the interference sensors 62 and 82 may be operable to detect the presence of the objects 64 and 66 in the interference zone 32 and further identify which of the plurality of detection regions 34 in which the objects 64 and 66 are located. The sensors 62 and 82 may be utilized in various combinations in order to improve a detection accuracy and reliability of detection of a wide variety of objects. In various implementations, the controller 70 may identify the objects 64 and 66 from the signals received from the various interference sensors in order to control the actuator 22 and the corresponding motion of the door 14. The various implementations of the door assist system 12 discussed herein provide for the controller 70 to adjust a position of the door 14 while preventing collisions between the door 14 and various objects that may enter the interference zone 32.

Referring to FIG. 4, a top schematic view of the vehicle 10 comprising the door assist system 12 is shown. As discussed previously, the door assist system 12 may further be configured to detect the objects 64 and 66 in an outer swing path 92 of the door 14. In this configuration, the controller 70 may be configured to control the actuator 22 to adjust the angular position ϕ of the door 14 of the vehicle 10 from a closed position to an opened position. As discussed previously, the interference sensor 26 may correspond to a sensor array 94 comprising a plurality of proximity sensors. Each of the proximity sensors may be configured to detect the objects 64 and 66 in the outer swing path 92 of the door 14. The plurality of proximity sensors of the sensor array 94 correspond to a first proximity sensor 96, a second proximity sensor 97, and a third proximity sensor 98. In this configuration, the controller 70 may be configured to detect the objects 64 and 66 in the plurality of detection regions 34 of the interference zone 32 corresponding to the outer swing path 92 of the door as well as the inner swing path as discussed in reference to FIG. 1.

The interference sensor 26 may be configured to identify a location of each of the objects 64 and 66 based on the position of the objects 64 and 66 relative to each of the detection regions 34 and the angular position ϕ of the door 14. That is, the controller 70 may be configured to identify and monitor the location of the objects 64 and 66 relative to the radial extent 42 of the door 14 in relation to the hinge assembly 18. The controller 70 may identify and monitor the location of the objects based on a detection signal for each of the objects received from one or more of the proximity sensors 96, 97, and 98. Based on the detection signal from one or more of the proximity sensors 96, 97, and 98, the controller 70 may identify the location of the objects based on the position of each of the proximity sensors 96, 97, and 98 along the radial extent 42 of the door 14. The controller 70 may further identify the location of the objects based on the angular position ϕ communicated from the door position sensor 24. In this configuration, the door assist system 12 may be configured to position the door 14 from a closed position to an opened position while preventing the door 14 from striking the objects 64 and 66.

In some embodiments, the controller 70 may further be operable to prioritize a first detection of the first object 64 and a second detection of the second object 66. For example as illustrated in FIG. 4, the controller 70 may identify that the door 14 is closer to the first object 64 than the second object 66 in relation to the rotational path of the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18. The controller 70 may identify that the first object 64 is closer than the second object based on a proximity of each of the objects 64 and 66 to the door 14 as determined via one or more signals received by the controller 70 from the interference sensor 26. The controller 70 may monitor the proximity of each of the objects 64 and 66 throughout an adjustment of the angular position ϕ of the door 14 based on the one or more signals. Once the controller 70 detects that a proximity signal from at least one of the proximity sensors 96, 97, and 98 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller 70 may control the actuator 22 to halt a positioning adjustment of the door 14. In this way, the controller 70 may prioritize a control instruction to control the actuator 22 to limit the angular position ϕ of the door 14 to prevent a collision between the door 14 and one or more objects 64 and 66 in the interference zone 32.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a flow chart of a method 102 for controlling the door assist system 12 is shown. The method 102 may begin in response to the controller 70 receiving an input signal from a door control device requesting that the door 14 be positioned in the closed position (104). In response to receiving the input signal, the controller 70 may activate the interference sensor 26 to identify whether an object or obstruction is located in the interference zone 32 or the interference regions, as discussed in reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 (106). Additionally, in response to receiving the input signal, the controller 70 may activate the actuator 22 to begin positioning the door 14 in a door close operation (108). Additional information regarding the door control device is discussed in reference to FIG. 6.

As the actuator 22 begins to position the door 14, the controller 70 is configured to identify if an obstruction is detected (110). If an obstruction is detected, the controller 70 may halt the closing operation of the door (112). The controller 70 may also output an obstruction detection signal, which may be configured to activate an alarm of warning to alert an operator or occupant of the vehicle 10 of the obstruction detection (114). If an obstruction is not detected, the controller 70 may continue positioning the door 14 with the actuator 22 and monitoring the angular position ϕ of the door 14 by processing position information from the position sensor 24 (116). As the door 14 is repositioned, the controller 70 may continue to monitor the position information to determine when the door closure operation is complete (118). Additionally, the controller 70 may continue to monitor the interference zone 32 for obstructions throughout the repositioning of the door 14 as discussed in reference to method steps 106-114.

In step 118, if the door closure operation is determined to be complete, the controller 70 may halt the door actuator 22 (120). Additionally, the controller 70 may output a control signal that may identify that the door 14 of the vehicle 10 is secure such that a vehicle operation may be activated (122). A vehicle operation may include releasing a parking brake, engaging an autonomous vehicle operation, or otherwise enabling an operation of the vehicle 10 that may be completed when the door 14 is located in the closed position. More particularly, controller 70 may communicate with vehicle control module 162, by transmission of a signal or the like, to cause vehicle control module 162 to take a predetermined action in response to controller 70 having determined that door 14 is ajar. As discussed above, such a determination can be made using position sensor 24 to determine if the angular position ϕ of door 14 is within the designated range for the closed position thereof. The action taken by vehicle control module 162 can include maintaining the vehicle 10 in a stopped condition, such as by preventing ignition of the engine of vehicle 10 (such as by communication with an ignition module or unit of vehicle 10), implementing a park-lock mode, whereby the vehicle transmission is maintained in a park mode or condition, or the like (e.g. by communication with a park-lock module associated with the transmission). Vehicle 10 may provide an override for such park-lock functionality, such as via a menu item on HMI 128 or another accessible control within vehicle. Further, in an embodiment where vehicle 10 is configured for autonomous operation (including fully autonomous operation), vehicle control module 162 may prevent vehicle 10 from moving from a current location under autonomous operation.

Autonomous operation of vehicle 10 may be achieved, for example, by including within vehicle 10 an autonomous operation system 158 (which may be included within the functionality of vehicle control module 162, for example) having a vehicle location module 174 (FIG. 11) that may include various devices or features for identifying a location and trajectory of vehicle 10, such as a global positioning service (“GPS”) module or the like. Autonomous operation system 158 may also include a vision module 166 that can identify items surrounding vehicle 10, such as pedestrians, other cars, etc., as well as the roadway on which vehicle 10 is traveling, including lane markers, shoulders, curbs, intersections, crosswalks, traffic lights, etc. Vision module 166 may include a video camera, a light field camera (e.g. a plenoptic camera), RADAR, LIDAR, and various combinations thereof. Memory (either within vehicle control module 162, controller 70 (i.e. memory 170), or within autonomous operation system 158 itself, may also include map data for at least an area surrounding vehicle 10. An internet or other wireless data connection may also be provided for updating, maintaining, and acquiring such data, including when traveling into new areas.

Autonomous operation system 158 is configured to process the position, trajectory, roadway, and map data to determine a path of travel for vehicle 10 between a current location and a desired destination. Further, autonomous operation system 158 is also configured to control the movement of vehicle 10 along such a path, including by control of a vehicle steering module 172, a vehicle brake module 176, and the vehicle throttle 178. Such control is implemented to maintain the speed of vehicle 10 at an acceptable level, while avoiding other vehicles, objects, etc. and while obeying surrounding traffic signs and signals. In this manner, a vehicle may be made “fully autonomous,” whereby vehicle 10 may drive from a current location to a destination without supervision by a user, driver, or the like. In some embodiments, fully autonomous vehicles may operate under the direction of a user that is not present within the vehicle 10, including by incorporation of a communication module capable of communicating with an application running on a remote device, such as a computer, smartphone, tablet, dedicated device, or the like. In this and in other embodiments, it may be useful for such a vehicle 10 to be able to identify whether or not door 14 (and similarly, other doors of vehicle 10) is closed, before beginning movement along the determined vehicle path. Accordingly, controller 70 can output a signal to one of vehicle control module 162 or autonomous operation system 158 to prevent autonomous driving of vehicle 10 if one or more doors 14 (e.g. any of the four doors of a sedan) is determined to be in an open, ajar, or non-closed condition. Such information can also be transmitted to the remote device, along with other vehicle condition information. In a further embodiment, controller 70 can take action to remedy the door open condition by alerting an occupant of vehicle 10 (such as by visible or audible indication) or by moving door 14 into the closed configuration, such as by control of actuator 22 and monitored by interference sensor 26, as discussed above.

After the door close operation is complete, the controller 70 may continue to monitor the door control device to determine if a door opening operation is requested (124). As described herein, the method 102 for controlling the door assist system 12 may further be utilized to control the opening operation of the door 14 and may include additional interference sensors 26 configured to detect obstructions that may be encountered as the actuator 22 opens the door 14.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a projected view of the vehicle 10 is shown demonstrating the door control device 130 of the door assist system 12. The door control device 130 may correspond to a gesture sensor 132 configured to detect a motion or gesture by a tracked object 134, such as a limb, hand, foot, head, etc. of a user or other person positioned on the exterior of vehicle 10. The door control device 130 may correspond to a variety of sensory devices. Sensory devices that may be utilized for the gesture sensor 132 may include, but are not limited to optical, capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity and sensor arrays or other elements for determining the gestures of the object 134 in proximity thereto. Various interference sensors as described herein may also be utilized to identify gestures of the object 134.

As discussed herein, the gesture sensor 132 may be utilized to detect and record a motion of the object 134 and communicate motion data corresponding to the motion recorded by the gesture sensor 132 to the controller 70. In some embodiments, the gesture sensor 132 may correspond to an optical detection device 136. The optical detection device 136 may comprise an image sensor 138 and a light emitting device 140 in communication with the controller 70. The light emitting device 140 may correspond to a variety of light emitting devices and in some embodiments, may correspond to one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit light outside the visible range (e.g. infrared or ultraviolet light). The image sensor 138 may be configured to receive a light beam or a reflection thereof from the light emitting device 140 in a field of view 142 of the image sensor 138. The image sensor 138 may be a CMOS image sensor, a CCD image sensor, or any form of image sensor operable detect light emitted by the light emitting device 140.

In some embodiments, one or more of the interference sensor 26, the gesture sensor 132, the optical detection device 136 or any of the various detection devices discussed herein may be utilized to detect a period of inactivity or the door 14. A period of inactivity may correspond to a time interval or predetermined temporal period wherein an object is not detected proximate the door 14. In such cases, the controller 70 may monitor various regions proximate the door 14 to identify if an object (for example a vehicle occupant) is in proximity to the door 14. In response to the predetermined temporal period lapsing without the controller 70 detecting an object in proximity to the door 14, the controller may activate the actuator 22 to position the door 14 in a closed position. In this way, the disclosure may provide for at least one security feature that may be automatically activated by the controller 70 to secure the vehicle 10 in response to the period of inactivity.

With reference to the embodiment of the method 202 shown in FIG. 7, the gesture sensor 132 can transmit a signal to controller 70 including data related to the type of sensory devise used therein. In the example of an image sensor 138, such as one or more cameras, gesture sensor 132 can output a signal include image and/or video data for a field of view of the camera or cameras, the signal being received by controller 70 in step 204. Controller 70 can then process the image or video data to identify and isolate object 134 (step 206), for example, and to track motion of object 134 over time (214). The data used in this or other schemes to identify motion of object 134 may be communicated by a variety of analog and/or digital signals, such as video data, logic based signals, etc. that may be utilized by the controller 70 to identify the gesture recorded in such data. The motion of object 134 thus identified by the controller 70 can be interpreted as a command (218) directing controller 70 to activate the door assist system 12 such that the actuator 22 repositions the door 14 (step 220). The gesture to be identified by the controller 70 in order to activate the door assist system 12 may be predetermined or previously saved to a memory of the controller 70. Upon receipt of the data, the controller 70 may compare the communicated motion data to the previously saved motion data to identify a gesture utilized to access the vehicle 10.

To prevent unauthorized access to vehicle 10, the controller 70 may first seek to identify if a user within a field of view of the gesture sensor 132 is an “authorized” user. This may be done by acquiring image data from the signal received from gesture sensor 132 (which may be accomplished by isolating a frame of the video data, for example) and processing the data (step 210) according to a desired mode of user-identification using visible characteristics. In one example, controller 70 can identify faces in the acquired image data and run one of various facial-recognition algorithms to determine if one of the identified faces is that of an authorized user (step 208). Other physical characteristics can be processed similarly according to alternative ways of identifying users. In this manner, controller 70 can be configured to only accept a gesture-based command from an identified authorized user.

In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, a user can be designated as an authorized user by entering a setup mode 222 for the system 12, such as via HMI 128, using a smartphone application, or the like. In the setup mode (which can require the presence of a key fob or the like within vehicle 10 to signal initial authorization), the user can have the required visible data stored in memory 170 (FIG. 11) and associated with a designation of such visible data pertaining to an authorized user. In the embodiment shown, the user can enter the user designation mode (step 226) before entering a record command (step 228), which can activate controller 70 to receive and process a signal from optical detection device 136 (step 230). When controller 70 recognizes that a face is present in the image data within the signal, the user can be prompted to enter information (step 234) that is then associated with the face (step 236). Such information can simply include that the face corresponds to an authorized user or can include additional data, such as the name of the user. The face data and additional information is then stored in memory (step 240) before the setup mode is optionally exited (steps 240 and 242). The user information can also be stored in memory 170 and associated with the visible data such that other vehicle systems (e.g. climate control, seating, multimedia, etc.) can be configured automatically according to the known or learned preferences of the particular authorized user. The visual or facial data can, alternatively, be obtained, by the user uploading a picture using a smartphone application or by entering other physical data manually using HMI 128, for example.

The motion data recorded by the gesture sensor 132 may include various movements of the object 134 and sequences or combinations thereof. For example, the optical detection device 136 may be operable to communicate video data containing imagery of the motion object 134 (e.g. a hand, limb, etc.) or an authorized user performing a gesture in the form of one of a variety of movements (e.g. up, down, left, right, in, out, etc.) of the object 134 in the field of view 142. In one aspect, gesture sensor 132 can include two or more sensors (e.g. cameras) to obtain stereoscopic video data of the corresponding field of view, thereby allowing movement of object 134 toward or away from vehicle 10 to be determined and tracked. The controller 70 may then identify object 134 and track the movement thereof, comparing each movement thereof to a particular sequence or order of movements corresponding to a predetermined gesture or previously saved gesture associated with a command to interpret a gesture within the data as a control gesture. Upon interpreting the control gesture to determine that the image data received from the image sensor 138 contains movement of object 134 that corresponds to the particular sequence or order of the predetermined or previously saved gesture, the controller 70 may activate the door assist system 12 such that the door 14 opens, closes, or is repositioned in accordance with a particular gesture identified.

Controller 70 can be pre-programmed with gestures for opening, closing, or repositioning door 14 that the user can replicate using object 134 for recognition by controller in a video signal obtained from gesture sensor 132. In another aspect, the previously-described setup mode 222 may further include protocol for entering user-derived control gestures (step 244). In this aspect, the user may enter a “record” mode (step 246) in which a gesture is executed within the field of view of image sensor 132. In an example, the record mode can be started with a push of a button on a key fob associated with vehicle 10 or by a predetermined gesture. When finished, controller 70 can process the date (step 248) and identify a tracked object 134 (step 250) and track the motion thereof (step 252). Controller 70 can then cause the HMI 128 can display a diagram of the recorded gesture (step 254), for which a desired control is unknown. The user can then determine whether to use the gesture and which type of control the gesture is associated with (such as by selection from a list of menu items in step 256), at which point the previously unknown gesture is stored in memory 170 as a command gesture in association with the desired door movement (step 258).

In either gesture designation protocol, controller 70 may implement a learning mode during operation (202), in which the particular motion path 180 associated with a command gesture may be adjusted over time to more accurately identify a gesture and appropriately interpret such a gesture. In such a mode, a first tolerance zone 182 may be applied with the motion path 180 stored in memory 170. In general, the tolerance zone 182 may map a deviation from the movement path 180 by object 134 that can still be interpreted as corresponding to a command gesture. This operation can allow controller 70 to identify a gesture, despite the user moving object 134 in a manner that is not precise (step 216). Further, controller 70 can monitor deviations from motion path 180 that are within the tolerance zone 182 for a level of consistency of such deviations (step 260). Controller 70 can then adjust motion path 180 to match or compensate for the repeated deviation with the tolerance zone 182 being similarly adjusted (step 262). In a further aspect, the learning mode can identify repeated movements of object 134 or a second object that are outside the tolerance zone 182 for a particular motion path 180, but still exhibit characteristics of such movement. In one example, movement by a foot of the user may be carried out in a manner similar to a gesture made by the user's hand but may differ from the exact path due to anatomy, etc. If such a movement is repeated for a predetermined number of times so as to include the same similar characteristic as motion path 180, controller 70 can then store such a movement in memory 170 as a second movement path corresponding to the same movement command.

In some embodiments, the gesture sensor 132 may correspond to one or more proximity sensors (although gesture sensors 132 in the form of an optical detection device and a proximity sensor are shown in FIG. 6, system 12 may include only one of such sensors 132). The one or more proximity sensors may correspond to a sensor array 144 disposed on a panel 145 of the vehicle 10. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the sensor array 144 is disposed proximate an outer surface 146 of the door 14. The sensor array 144 may be configured to detect the object 134 within a proximity or sensory range corresponding to a detection field of the sensor array 144. Once the object 134 is detected, the sensor array 144 may communicate a signal to the controller 70 corresponding directly to a motion of the object relative to a plurality of regions of the sensor array 144. In this way, the sensor array 144 is operable to communicate the movement of the object 134 proximate the sensor array 144 such that the controller 70 can utilize the signal to identify a gesture by the object 134 and activate the door assist system 12.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a diagram of the sensor array 144 is shown. The sensor array 144 may correspond to an array of capacitive sensors 148. Each of the capacitive sensors 148 may be configured to emit an electric field 150. The sensor array 144 may be attached to the door 14 and comprise an activation surface 151, which may be configured to significantly match an appearance of the outer surface 146 of the door 14. In this configuration, the sensor array 144 may be concealed from view providing for the outer surface 146 of the door 14 to have a sleek appearance without a visible door control device (e.g. a conventional door handle). Though capacitive sensors are discussed in reference to FIG. 9, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additional or alternative types of proximity sensors may be used, such as, but not limited to, inductive sensors, optical sensors, temperature sensors, resistive sensors, the like, or a combination thereof.

Each of the capacitive sensors 148 may generate a separate electric field 150. The controller 70 may utilize one or more signals received from the capacitive sensors 148 to identify a position of the object 134 and a motion of the object 134 relative to each of the electric fields 150. A threshold value of a signal received from each of the capacitive sensors 148 may be communicated to the controller 70 to identify the motion of the object 134 proximate the sensor array 144. The controller 70 may compare the signals received from the capacitive sensors 148 to a predetermined or previously recorded signal stored in the memory in order to identify a gesture. In response to identifying the gesture, the controller 70 is configured to activate the door assist system 12 such that the door 14 opens, closes, or is repositioned in accordance with the particular gesture identified.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a side environmental view of the vehicle 10 is shown. In some embodiments, the controller 70 may further be operable to detect circumstances or characteristics of a location of the vehicle 10 that may cause the door 14 to swing open or close unintentionally. Such circumstances may correspond to gusts of wind and/or the vehicle 10 being parked on an incline 152. In such circumstances, the controller 70 may be operable to detect the unintentional movement of the door 14 and utilize the door assist system 12 to significantly prevent the unintentional motion. In this way, the disclosure provides for an advantageous system that may be utilized to improve the operation of the door 14 of the vehicle 10.

In some implementations, characteristics of the location of the vehicle 10 may correspond to an angular orientation of the vehicle 10 relative to gravity. The system 12 may comprise an incline sensor 154 in communication with the controller 70 configured to detect and measure the orientation. The incline sensor 154 may be disposed in various portions of the vehicle 10 and correspond to a variety of sensors. In some implementations, the incline sensor 154 may be configured to measure the incline about a plurality of axes via a tilt sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, or any device operable to measure the incline of the vehicle 10 relative to gravity. The incline sensor 154 may communicate the incline 152 of the vehicle 10 to the controller 70 such that when the door 14 is arranged the opened position or a partially opened position, the controller 70 is configured to activate the actuator 22 to prevent the door 14 from swinging open, closing, or changing in angular position ϕ. In some embodiments, the controller 70 may be operable to identify that the vehicle 10 is likely on an incline by utilizing a GPS and a map to determine if the vehicle 10 is located on the incline 152.

In some embodiments, the controller 70 may be configured to control the actuator 22 to balance the door 14 relative to the incline 152. Based on the angular position or orientation communicated to the controller 70 by the incline sensor 154, the controller 70 may be operable to determine a force required to apply to the door 14 to maintain the angular position ϕ of the door 14 and prevent the door 14 from accelerating due to gravity. The controller 70 is further operable to control the actuator 22 to apply the force to the door to simulate the motion of the door on a level surface. In this way, the controller 70 may identify that the vehicle 10 is parked or oriented at an angle and prevent the door 14 from swinging under the force of gravity.

Additionally, the controller 70 may be configured to limit a rate of motion of the door 14 by monitoring a change in the angular position ϕ of the door communicated by the position sensor 24. In such embodiments, the controller 70 may monitor the rate of change of the angular position ϕ of the door 14 and control the actuator 22 to apply an opposing force to a motion of the door 14 to dampen or slow the motion of the door 14 to a predetermined rate. The controller 70 may further be configured to hold the door 14 at one or more angular positions in response to an input received from the door control device 130 or based on one or more programmed door positions stored in a memory of the controller 70. In this way, the door assist system 12 provides for a variety of control schemes to assist in the operation of the door 14.

In some embodiments, the door assist system 12 may be configured to function in a semi-manual operation wherein a user of the door 14 may manually adjust the angular position ϕ and the actuator 22 may maintain the angular position ϕ set by the user. As shown in FIG. 10, the user may locate the door 14 at the angular position ϕ. In response to the controller 70 receiving data from the incline sensor 154 identifying that the vehicle 10 is parked on the incline 152, the controller 70 may activate the actuator 22 to prevent the door from moving or rotating about the hinge assembly 18. The controller 70 may be configured to hold the door at the angular position ϕ until the user interacts with the door control device 130, for example the gesture sensor 132, or a conventional handle. The controller 70 may also be configured to hold the door at the angular position ϕ until the user applies force sufficient that the actuator 22, the position sensor 24, or any of a variety of devices and/or sensors discussed herein communicates to the controller 70 to release the angular position ϕ of the door 14.

As described, the controller 70 may control the actuator 22 to apply sufficient force to prevent motion of the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18 due to gravity. The controller 70 may also be configured to detect an external force applied to the door 14 by a user of the vehicle 10. The external force may be identified by the controller 70 as a spike or increase in current from the actuator 22. Upon identification of the spike or increase, the controller 70 may gradually release the actuator 22 such that the angular position ϕ may be freely adjusted. Additionally, upon release of the actuator 22, the controller 70 may be configured to control the rate of closure or the rate of change of the angular position ϕ. In this way, after the controller 70 releases the actuator 22 such that the door 14 may move, the actuator 22 still may maintain force on the door 14 sufficient to prevent the door 14 from swinging rapidly and/or slamming.

In some embodiments, a characteristic of a location of the vehicle 10 may correspond to a weather or wind speed condition proximate the vehicle 10. The door assist system 12 may utilize a positioning device (not shown), for example a global positioning system (GPS), to retrieve weather information or at least one weather condition based on a location or GPS location identified for the vehicle 10. The GPS location and/or weather information may be utilized to identify periods when the door 14 may likely be unexpectedly repositioned or forced to swing about the hinge assembly 18 due to a wind gust or elevated wind speeds. The weather information may be accessed by the controller 70 via a wireless data connection, for example a GSM, CDMA, WiFi, or any other wireless data communication protocol.

The controller 70 may utilize the GPS data in combination with the weather data to identify if the vehicle 10 is located in an area with potentially elevated wind speeds. If the controller 70 identifies that the vehicle 10 is located in such an area, the controller 70 is configured to prevent excess motion of the door 14 and/or dampen the motion of the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18. The controller 70 may be configured to prevent movement of the door 14 due to wind by detecting an external force applied to the door 14 as a spike or increase in current from the actuator 22 and/or due to an unexpected increase in the rate of change of the angular position ϕ of the door 14. In this way, the door assist system 12 is operable to predict if the vehicle 10 is located in an area with elevated wind speeds and prevent excess motion of the door 14 due to such windy conditions.

The characteristic of the location of the vehicle 10 or weather information may also be detected by the controller 70 via a wind detection device 156, for example an anemometer. The wind detection device 156 may be disposed on the vehicle 10 and configured to monitor the localized wind conditions proximate the vehicle 10 and communicate a wind speed or direction signal to the controller 70. In response to a detection of windy conditions, the wind detection device 156 is configured to communicate wind condition data to the controller 70. In response to windy conditions or wind speeds exceeding a wind speed threshold, the controller 70 is configured to control the actuator 22 to prevent excess motion of the door 14 and/or dampen the motion of the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18. In some implementations, the controller 70 may also control the actuator to hold the door 14 at an angular position ϕ to prevent unwanted motion of the door 14 due to the windy conditions, as similarly discussed in reference to the incline sensor 154.

Referring now to FIG. 11, a block diagram of the door assist system 12 is shown. The door assist system 12 comprises the controller 70 in communication with the actuator 22 and configured to control the angular position ϕ of the door 14. The controller 70 may comprise a motor control unit having a feedback control system configured to accurately position the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18 in a smooth and controlled motion path. The controller 70 may further be in communication with a position sensor 24 as well as at least one interference sensor 26. The position sensor 24 is configured to identify an angular position ϕ of the door 14, and the interference sensor 26 is configured to identify a potential obstruction which may prevent operation of the door assist system 12.

The controller 70 may be in communication with a vehicle control module 162 via a communication bus 164 of the vehicle. The communication bus 164 may be configured to deliver signals to the controller 70 identifying various vehicle states. For example, the communication bus 164 may be configured to communicate to the controller 70 a drive selection of the vehicle 10, an ignition state, an open or ajar status of the door 14, etc. The vehicle control module 162 may also communicate with HMI 128 for implementation of the above-described learning and identification modes. The controller 70 may comprise a processor 168 comprising one or more circuits configured to receive the signals from the communication bus 164 and output signals to control the door assist system 12. The processor 168 may be in communication with a memory 170 configured to store instructions to control the activation of the door assist system 12.

The controller 70 is configured to control the actuator 22 to adjust the door from the opened position to the closed position and control the angular position ϕ of the door 14 therebetween. The actuator 22 may be any type of actuator that is capable of transitioning the door 14, including, but not limited to, electric motors, servo motors, electric solenoids, pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, etc. The position sensor 24 may correspond to a variety of rotational or position sensing devices. In some embodiments, the position sensor may correspond to an angular position sensor configured to communicate the angular position ϕ of the door to the controller 70 to control the motion of the actuator 22. The position sensor 24 may correspond to an absolute and/or relative position sensor. Such sensors may include, but are not limited to encoders, potentiometers, accelerometers, etc. The position sensor 24 may also correspond to optical and/or magnetic rotational sensors. Other sensing devices may also be utilized for the position sensor 24 without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

The interference sensor 26 may be implemented by a variety of devices, and in some implementations may be utilized in combination with the actuator 22 and the position sensor 24 to detect and control the motion of the door 14. The interference sensor 26 may include various sensors utilized alone or in combination. For example, the interference sensor 26 may correspond to one or more capacitive, magnetic, inductive, optical/photoelectric, laser, acoustic/sonic, radar-based, Doppler-based, thermal, and/or radiation-based proximity sensors. Though particular devices are disclosed in reference to the exemplary embodiments of the interference sensor 26, it shall be understood that various sensor technologies known and yet to be discovered may be utilized to implement the door assist system 12 without departing from the spirit of the disclosure.

The controller 70 is further in communication with the door control device 130 comprising the gesture sensor 132. The gesture sensor 132 is configured to detect a motion or a gesture by an object 134 to activate the controller 70 to adjust the position of the door 14. The gesture sensor 132 may correspond to a variety of sensory devices. Sensory devices that may be utilized for the gesture sensor 132 may include, but are not limited to optical, capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity and sensor arrays or other elements for determining the gestures of the object 134 in proximity thereto.

The gesture sensor 132 may be utilized to detect and record a motion of an object and communicate motion data corresponding to the motion recorded by the gesture sensor 132 to the controller 70. The motion data may be communicated by a variety of analog or digital signals that may be utilized by the controller 70 to identify a gesture recorded by the gesture sensor 132. The motion data may be identified by the controller 70 to activate the door assist system 12 such that the actuator 22 repositions the door 14. The gesture to be identified by the controller 70 in order to activate the door assist system 12 may be predetermined or previously saved to the memory 170 of the controller 70. Upon receipt of the motion data, the controller 70 may compare the communicated motion data to the previously saved motion data to identify a gesture utilized to access the vehicle 10.

The controller 70 may comprise an incline sensor 154. The incline sensor 154 may correspond to a variety of sensors and in some implementations may correspond to a tilt sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope or any other device operable to measure the vehicle 10 oriented on an incline relative to gravity. The incline sensor 154 may communicate the incline of the vehicle 10 to the controller 70 such that when the door 14 is arranged in the opened position or a partially opened position, the controller 70 is configured to activate the actuator 22 to prevent the door 14 from swinging open, closing, or changing in the angular position ϕ. In this way, the controller 70 may identify that the vehicle 10 is parked or oriented at an angle and prevent the door 14 from swinging under the force of gravity.

The controller 70 may also comprise a positioning device or GPS device 174 configured to receive positioning data and may also be configured to receive wireless data via a wireless data transceiver. The positioning data and/or the wireless data may be utilized to determine a location of the vehicle 10 and the weather conditions of that location. Based on the weather conditions and position of the vehicle 10, the controller 70 may be configured to identify periods when the door 14 may likely be unexpectedly repositioned or forced to swing about the hinge assembly 18 due to a wind gust or elevated wind speeds. The weather information may be accessed by the controller 70 via a wireless data transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate data. The data may be wirelessly communicated via GSM, CDMA, WiFi, or any other form of wireless data communication protocol.

The controller 70 may be in communication with a wind detection device 156, for example an anemometer. The wind detection device 156 may be disposed on the vehicle 10 and configured to monitor the localized wind conditions proximate the vehicle 10. In response to a detection of windy conditions, the wind detection device 156 is configured to communicate wind condition data to the controller 70. In response to wind conditions or wind speeds exceeding a wind speed threshold, the controller 70 is configured to control the actuator 22 to prevent excess motion of the door 14 and/or dampen the motion of the door 14 about the hinge assembly 18.

The controller 70 may also further be in communication with an autonomous operation system 158. This may be achieved indirectly through the communication of controller 70 with vehicle control module 162, which may implement the functionality of autonomous operation system 158 or may be in communication therewith. Autonomous operation system 158 can receive data from a vision module 166 and from GPS device 174 to determine a path for autonomous driving and can implement movement of vehicle 10 along such a path by communication with brake module 176 and with throttle 178. The communication of controller 70 with autonomous operation system 158 may allow autonomous operation system to receive data related to the angular position ϕ of door 14 relative to opening 20 or related to a condition of door 14 between an open condition and a closed condition such that autonomous movement of vehicle 10 is prevented when one or more doors 14 of vehicle 10 is in the open condition.

For the purposes of describing and defining the present teachings, it is noted that the terms “substantially” and “approximately” are utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. The term “substantially” and “approximately” are also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for detecting a state of a vehicle door, comprising: receiving a signal from a sensor including information related to a sensed position of the vehicle door in relation to an associated door opening; and determining that the door is in a closed state or an open state based on a comparison of the sensed position of the vehicle door to a known range of positions for the closed state and the open state.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the door is coupled with a vehicle and rotatable with respect to the door opening through an angular range of motion; the closed state of the door corresponds to a first limit of the angular range of motion with the door substantially covering the door opening; the known range of positions for the closed state is the first limit of the angular range of motion; and the known range of positions for the open state is any position outside of the first limit of the range of angular motion.
 3. The method of claim 2, further including: determining that the door is in a latched state with respect to the opening; determining that the door is within a predetermined range of the closed state based on the comparison of the sensed position of the vehicle door to the known range of positions for the closed state; and re-zeroing the range of positions for the closed state with a low end of the range of positions for the closed position corresponding to the sensed position.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein: the door is coupled with the vehicle by a hinge that rotatably mounts the door within the door opening such that the door is moveable within an angular range between the closed state, wherein the door is within the opening and the open state, wherein the door is away from the closed state; and the signal output by the sensor related to the sensed position is an angular position of the hinge with a zero position thereof being within the closed state of the door and the angular position increasing with movement of the door away from the closed state in the open state, wherein when the door is in the closed state, the door is capable of being positioned between −0.5 degrees to 0.5 degrees about the zero position.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining that the door is in a closed state or an open state includes determining whether the signal indicates one of the door being in the closed state by the angular position of the hinge being from −0.5 degrees to 0.5 degrees about the zero position or in the open state by the angular position of the hinge being greater than the angular position of the hinge corresponding with the closed state.
 6. The method of claim 1, further including: outputting a control signal to a power assist device directing the power assist device to move the door from a closed position to an open position; and determining that the door is in an obstructed state by determining that the door is in a single position within the known range of positions corresponding to the open state for a predetermined period of time.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein: the sensor is a potentiometer having a first portion coupled with the door and a second portion coupled with the door opening: the information relating to the sensed position of the door corresponds to an increase in an angle between the door and the door opening; and the known range of positions for the closed state and for the open state are respective ranges of the angle between the door and the door opening.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor coupled with one of the door and the door opening and the information relating to the sensed position of the door includes a distance from the magnetic sensor of a magnet mounted on the other of the door and the door opening; and the known range of positions for the closed state and for the open state are respective ranges of the distance of the magnet to the magnetic sensor.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is a first signal, the method further including: outputting a second signal to a power assist device operably coupled between the door and the opening to cause the power assist device to drive movement of the door corresponding to either an opening movement or a closing movement of the door; and monitoring the first signal over a predetermined time interval to determine whether the door is moving according to the second signal within the predetermined time interval.
 10. The method of claim 9, further including identifying an obstructed condition of the door when: monitoring the first signal indicates that the door is not moving over the predetermined time interval; the door is further determined to be in the open state over the predetermined time interval; and the second signal is being output to the power assist device corresponding to the closing movement of the door over the predetermined time interval. 